Breathe
by rantandrumour
Summary: Was this world real? Could she get back to Molly? Could she leave Gene?


**To those who are reading Rage of Fire, Love of Daughter: Chapter 6 is being quite evil at the moment. I will post as soon as I'm able. :) Thanks to Placebo, for giving me inspiration for this fic from their song "Breathe Underwater"**

Gene was going to be pissed. He would never trust her with a car again. That was her first thought as the car careened off the road, flying toward the river.

They had been on a drugs raid, and he had trusted her with the car while he took the boat on the river to catch the men. A car had come up beside her and forced her off the road. They had known.

The car had flown over the banks of the Thames, and Alex could only watch in horror as it got closer to impact. Somewhere, something she had read flew into her head and she crossed her arms in front of her face, grasping the seatbelt for an extra hold. The car landed in the water, causing a huge wave as it flipped over.

_Under._

Water started leaking in, and Alex searched for something to break the window with. She knew she wouldn't be able to open the door, and she had to get out before she drowned.

"_Drake! Drake! Answer me! Are you okay, Drake?!" _The radio. She could use the radio to break the window. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she turned herself right-side up in the upside down Quattro. She grabbed the radio from the roof and started swinging it at the window. A crack appeared in the glass, and water started spurting through it. Alex smiled in satisfaction, noting that the water was getting higher. She put the radio down and sat facing the window, bent over double. She kicked the window, and the glass broke, letting water in in earnest. Gene's voice was no longer screaming at her from the radio, she figured the batteries had shorted from water hitting it. Alex continued to kick until the window was completely out, just a few shards sticking out from the frame. She swam out, hissing into bubbles as one of the shards caught her side, ripping her shirt and staining the water with red.

It was hard to tell which was up and was down. She opened her eyes in the water. Fish were swimming around her. It was a beautiful sight, but she could not stay to take that in. She had to get above water. Her feet touched the bottom and she pushed herself off, feeling the mud at the bottom sucking off one of her boots.

_Above. Breathe._

She coughed and spat out the water that had gotten into her mouth. People were staring at her from the bridge. Couldn't they see she needed help? She had never been a strong swimmer, and swimming against a river was completely beyond her level. She had already been swept away from the Quattro and she looked desperately for something to hold on to.

_Under._

Was this how it was going to happen? Was she finally going to get back home to Molly by drowning in the Thames? Her feet reached the bottom again. She pushed again, feeling the sticky mud pull off her other boot.

_Above. Breathe._

Was this world real even? Did Gene Hunt even exist? She saw him running down the bank, but she couldn't call out to him. She could hardly get enough air in her lungs as it was.

_Under._

Molly needed her. She had to get back to Molly. She had to show Molly that she loved her. She hadn't shown Molly that enough when she was in 2008. She had to tell her, in case she ended up like her mother.

_Above. Breathe._

But she loved it here. She loved the clothes and the fashions, she loved the people in CID. And she had come to respect the man who fashioned himself the Manc Lion.

He had reached the bank, and was yelling at her. He was screaming her name, but she just looked him helplessly.

_Under._

But she had loved it in 2008 as well. She had loved her daughter. She had loved Evan. She had loved her job.

_Above. Breathe._

But she loved her job here more. Here she felt like she was actually doing something, actually solving crimes instead of sitting in a conference all day. She was on the streets, clearing up the scum. She was famous through the London underworld. She was the female DI who was just as tough as a man, but more beautiful than anyone they'd seen before.

_Under._

She wasn't the fear of anyone in 2008. Everyone had hated her. She had been too obsessed with her job to have mates, and that had made people think she was cold. She hadn't cared then though. She had hardened herself to the world so that nothing could hurt her.

_Above. Breathe._

Gene had taken that hard exterior and changed it. He had eroded it until she had had feelings once more. Could she leave that?

_Under._

Gene would save her. She wanted to go back to Molly, but she couldn't leave Gene. He was her constant. She knew it. She had to stay with him.

_Deeper._

Gene would save her. He was the Manc Lion. He'd find her. She'd be okay.

_Deeper._

Her body was crying out for air, but she couldn't reach the top. Gene would save her. She knew he would. Gene always saved her. No matter what. She'd be okay.

_Deeper._

Her brain overrode itself, making her inhale. She choked on the water, and tried to cough it out, but it didn't work. She had no air to expel it with. Her vision was going black. Why hadn't Gene saved her?

"_I wonder if they'll find my body, or if I'll just disappear like Sam?" _she thought as she fell into unconsciousness.

~(*)~

"_Damn it Bolly! You're not allowed to die until I kill you for murdering my bloody Quattro!" _

She became aware of being dragged along the ground. She coughed again, this time coughing out all the water she had inhaled. She coughed until her stomach was quite sore, Gene staring at her the whole time.

Alex blinked and looked straight at Gene, whose mouth was set in a firm pout. It took her several moments to realise he was soaking, his blonde hair dripping.

"You saved me," she said softly.

"Well, yes, it was a choice between you or the Quattro, and the Quattro's a bit harder to drag out of the water."

She laughed, and shivered as the chill penetrated her clothes.

"We didn't even get to the bloody boat. Half way there, and I see you careening over the side. Thought you were dead."

The last sentence was said quietly, far different from the brisk manner he had been using.

"Guv," Alex said, wrapping her arms around her legs. "I'm sorry."

"You will be," Gene replied. "You're the one who's buying me a new motor. I've had it with DI's wrecking them." He helped her up, and they started the long trek towards the closest bus station, both dripping and shivering.

"You know Bolly, when you were out there, you looked like you were lost in thought. What were you thinking about?"

Alex raised an eyebrow and stared at him boldly. "Can't tell you," she said laughingly, looking him over once. "It'd be far too revealing."

Gene stared at her as she walked away. Would she really think about...? No, she wouldn't. She had to be leading him on. Still, there was that cassette of _They Died with Their Boots On _in her flat...

**Rant**


End file.
